


The Rise and Fall of a Dream

by Kira_Akuma



Category: Mentions of Final Fantasy 11, Undertale
Genre: Gen, I don't feel right calling it an AU even if it is..., Im pulling design ideas from pictures, Lots of OCs - Freeform, Mages rule the surface, Magic works in weird ways, Multiple Undergrounds, Original Story (i think? Mostly?), Slavery, Tags to be added, i don't know how to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2018-12-26 12:40:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12059172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Akuma/pseuds/Kira_Akuma
Summary: Once upon a time there were four friends. Four Mages with power beyond measure.The Tidal Warrior, Wild Blood. The Silver tonged Angel, Angelica. Natures Wrath, Bemtotto. And the Inventor, Lola Moon.In a time of "Pet Ownership" these four find their ties coming undone.In a world created from their dreams, how can they pull apart so easily?~~~And how does a lost little skeleton fit into all this?





	1. Prologue

Once upon a time there were four little girls with immense power. They didn’t know each other at first, but eventually they all became the closest of friends.

Little Bem was coming into her first century when she met Luna. The two seemed almost destined to be friends with how quickly they got along. Bem’s family Curl was never mentioned, nor was Luna’s golden hair. They just played as if they had always been friends.  
When Wendy was introduced they gained an element of Unity. Each had their flaws, but the others would help them through it. The addition of Angel added an element of Power. Each went into a different study of magic and taught one another, never knowing how impossible that should have been.  
As they grew, each set into a different path. Yet on these paths they still held their bond with one another above all else. When the Elders among the Mages talked of creating a paradise for themselves the four Mages banded together as did many other groups of Mages. The Elders plan was to drown the majority of normal humans and put the land of every continent below the waves. They would then bring up new land which was to be a Paradise for Mages.  
Decided to make their own land was a very quick decision. Deciding what it would be like was even simpler. Wendy ventured into the Human world and brought back a book about a Human game called “Final Fantasy 11.” The four cities were easy for them to decide upon. Luna claimed Bastok because she wanted to Mine resources with her Family mastery of Mountain Magic. Bem claimed Windurst for its Life and connection to both Water and Earth. Angel wanted a city that shone like her magic and to be able to meet MANY people. And little Wendy was the exact opposite wishing to distance herself from society.  
Nobody outside their circle of friends knew about the “Vana’diel Promise” they made. To create their own land and a Vana’diel outside the walls of their cities. But when it came time, they couldn’t explore.  
They rose their own continent out of the waves separated from the “Mages Paradise” the elders created. Almost all their magic seeped into the ground under their feet. They had saved up magic for many years for that day and were changed by the deed. Wendy developed two distinct personalities, Angel could sense the wind and all it had to promise, Bemtotto became attuned to nature and ambient energy, and Luna developed a sense for what was in the earth while her hair became like spun gold.  
Each of the four claimed the Four edges of the land. Wendy claimed the north, Bemtotto claimed the south, Angel claimed the east and Luna had the West. Yet the rest of the land filled up with weaker Mages clambering for their own share of land. Each of the four viciously protected their territories. The Tidal warrior of the North, the Silver Tonged Angel of the East, the Killer Puppets of the west, and the treacherous mountains of the south.  
_With this came a new name for two of the four. Wendy was called the Wild Tide and was known for spilling the blood of her enemies. She took delight in this and started to call herself Wild Blood. The name caught and became her name for the duration of her life._  
Angel liked the idea of a new name, but still loved to be known as an angel. So she began to introduce herself as Angelica the Angel. A small change, but one that meant so much to her.  
It stayed they way for a long time until the Mages agreed to not attack one another. This evolved into trading agreements between Mages. Rivers and other bodies of water connected every Territory. The set area each Mage was allowed to occupy. The rivers had a current that could be activated with magic to make travel easier and faster. Magic-less humans were brought to each territory to be breed and to work the land.  
Many mages protested at first. They did not wish to subjugate a branch of their own species. But with much convincing the Humans were made the bottom rung of the social ladder. Their species was placed under a spell without anyone’s knowledge, besides the elders, to appreciate the simple lives. To enjoy doing the work of their Masters and the jobs they were given.  
With this came the specialization of Territories. Wild Blood began to raise livestock in her mountainous terrain; the forests perfect for the animals to roam around. Angelica kept to her dream and created a trading center for all those in their continent. Luna stuck to her family’s magic and used her barren terrain as a mining city; its soil was rich with minerals. Bem made the largest farming territory on the continent, her life magic and the rich minerals in the soil were key to the growth of amazing crops.  
With time, Angelica convicted the two to take on new names. “A new name for a new era,” she said. Luna loved the idea and decided to be called Lola Moon. It kept the first and last letter of her original name and the meaning of it for a second name. Angelica and Wild Blood question the cuteness of it, but Lola Moon was determined to stick to it.  
Bem was harder to convince. She liked the simplicity of her name and didn’t see the reason to abandon another piece of their past. But over several decades her three friends managed to convince her to try it at the very least. Thus Bem was left in the past, and Bemtotto was moving into the new day. Her name a tribute to the book from which their cities were based upon.  
This peaceful period between Mages continued for several centuries. Each Mage upon Vana’diel stuck to their Territories and the purpose they had taken up. Over these centuries another change came about. Beings who were too weak to be Mages yet too strong to be humans came about. Those who could bend two elements to their will yet unable to mix them were labeled Witches and Wizards. Mages hired them to assist in their Territories. Magical humans were those who could only use a little element magic of a single element. These were seen as less than Witches, but better than normal Humans. Most Mages had them as leaders of the Normal Humans.  
The four Mages reacted differently to them. Bemtotto saw the great potential for jealousy in the Witches and Wizards, so she never took any in. The Magical Humans on the other hand became leaders for her farming groups. Their magic was a great boon upon the land. Lola knew how her friend’s instincts were rarely wrong, so she too disregarded the Witches and Wizards.  
Wild Blood enjoyed the added assistance for her livestock while she delved into Magical Experimentation. Angelica took them in to operate her boats, but had no need for their magic beyond that. Her focus was almost entirely upon trading between Territories.  
Years later a new species was found upon the Main Land. Mages found creatures who had been underground for a long time. They ranged from Anthropomorphic animals to living Skeletons to indeterminable creatures. They had a curse upon them though; they couldn’t use magic without the permission of a Mage with stronger magic. The elders came in and placed another spell upon their species. It was an _Ownership Curse_. A fowl spell that subjugates their will and makes them follow any command. It melded with the pre-existing spell and made it so Monsters had to have a _Master_ with stronger Magic than themselves.  
Many were disgusted with the actions of the elders. _How could they so easily bend another species to their will?_ It was immoral. But after a while owning a Monster became akin to owning a pet. They even gained the title of Pets after a while. Twice more Monsters were brought to the surface. The spells upon their race affecting them as soon as they touched the soil of the surface.  
The mages felt there were too few to go around, so they began to make more Monsters of their own. They even began to cross the Genetic Code of the monsters with other animals to create new species. This created many Hybrids that Mages absolutely loved to keep as pets. Skeletons were especially loved. Their control of magic and skeletal appearance caught the attention of Mages early on.  
Thus began an age of Slavery… or rather __Pet Ownership.


	2. Never Trust an Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From the past to the present~  
> Please enjoy the future that lays before you~

In the current day, the Vana’diel Alliance is still in control of the continent they created. Juno is still the trading central, San d’Oria still raises livestock but now create Monsters, Bastok mines precious materials and builds new inventions, and Windurst is still a farming city.  
The friendship between the four woman was very strained from the centuries. It was practically split in two after they reunited. The wars over their land making it extremely difficult to visit one another. Bemtotto and Lola found a connection, but felt morally separate from Angelica and Wild Blood. Angelica and Wild Blood felt their two friends were too stuck in the past and refuse to live in the present. This split drove a small wedge in their relationship. They all still relied on one another, but couldn’t come to terms with the morals of their counterparts.  
But they all had resources the others needed. They even borrowed each other’s labs. Only Bemtotto and Wild Blood had Magical Labs, while Angelica and Lola had scientific Labs. So they would use each other’s labs for trying new things. Although, Angelica and Lola tended to use Bemtotto’s lab because Wild Blood was so protective of hers.  
Today was one of the days Bemtotto agreed to let Angelica visit to use her lab. Oh did she regret it afterwards…

“Bem! Bemtotto!” A woman with shoulder length black hair called out. She had almost cartoon pale skin. “Come on out ya hermit!”  
From over the side of a short moss covered wall water could be seen below. It was a several foot drop from the edge to the water below. A head popped out of the water. Long grey-blue hair spread out in the water. She glared up with hazel eyes and responded, “just because I don’t have any Witches or pets doesn’t mean I’m a hermit!”  
The woman above looked over the edge, delight in her dark eyes, “well after today, that will change!~” A mischievous grin found its way to her pale face. “I’m here to use your Lab,” she called out.  
“Give me a sec,” Bemtotto replied. She then dove back into the water. The water hardly rippled before she shot out of the water. She easily cleared the wall and landed next to Angelica. She noted a skeleton next to the Mage, but payed it little mind. Her hair dried within moments and was mostly flat except for the curl out and up at the end.  
She then walked to the lab. It was a building with dark grey stone walls. Within was a small five foot by three entrance area with a large caldron across from the door. At the edge there was a foot and a half rise before leading into the rest of the lab. It was about fifteen feet wide and twenty five long, with an entirely wooden floor. The walls had shelves from the floor to the ceiling and ladders to get to the higher shelves. Glass doors helped to protect the continents from stray spells or explosions. Every shelf was packed with jars, pots and stones. Seals were carved into the wooden floor, stone walls and stone ceiling.  
Bemtotto was rather proud of her lab. It took her about thirty-five years to collect all the materials, much less create seals to protect the precious materials.  
“Lovely as always Bem,” Angelica said, her voice containing no sincerity.  
“I’ll be watching like always,” Bemtotto warned, a hint of irritation in her voice.  
“Of course Bemmie~ you always do,” Angelica replied. She then sauntered up the steps like she owned the lab. The skeleton followed her hesitantly. When she had the skeleton standing over the desired Runic Array she began to chant a Chain Spell. Several spells chained together into one larger spell with the effects of every spell in the Chain.  
Chanting was never her preferred method of spell casting, but she tried to figure out at least parts of the spells. She could hear “Loyalty,” “Need,” “change,” and “Affection,” but the rest was lost to her. It was only until the last spell tat she recognized what a spell was. It was a Memory Erasure spell. One that is almost impossible to undue. It wiped the memories of its victim leaving only imprints of what was there.  
Bemtotto slammed her palm to the wall beside her and activated a Spell Nullifier. A Runic Array that releases a pulse of energy that disturbs the flow of magic in an area. To her great dismay Angelica was on the spell was at its tail end. Only barely stopping it before the spell ended.  
Angelica grinned victoriously. Delight filled her eyes as she began to run out. “I revoke my ownership of Ace the Skeleton!” She called out as she ran. Bemtotto lashed out at her with her magic, sending stones and ice at her and forming roots to trip the escaping Angel.  
Bemtotto ran to the skeleton. She could see The Ownership Curse beginning to choke the skeleton for being abandoned. It sent jolts of electricity through his bones for being Ownerless.

"I claim Comidie the Skeleton as my Pet!” She said, panic clear in her voice. The pain subsides as the new Ownership settled into the Monster’s soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if you've noticed yet, but this story was originally me playing with the concept of "Slavery." From there it escalated into this story~ There isn't much Undertale for now, just the Surface and Monsters~  
> Oh! And please remember, if you enjoy this story to Comment! Authors feed on the comments and Kudos of their Readers~  
> I'd love ta hear any Ideas or Questions you may have~  
> Thanks for reading!~


	3. Awakening to a New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little skeleton awakens, but something is off about the whole thing...

Three days later we find ourselves in a a room with a stone floor which reached up to be foot tall baseboards along every wall. The rest of the wall was medium dark grey wood. From the back wall was a round fountain with the stone baseboard curving outward to create a water basin. A rug filled the middle of the room. To the right of the fountain was a Queen sized bed with warm blankets.  
Tucked into these blankets lay a small skeleton. Their head lay upon a soft pillow.  
Their eye sockets slowly opened to show two different eye lights. One a Plum Purple Heart, the other a white oval. His eyes soon flew open and he sat up to looked around the room. A strange panic began to fill him when he couldn't find what he was looking for. He didn’t even know what he was looking for.  
Soon after waking up, one side of the arched doors opened. A woman with long grey blue hair peaked her head in. Her emerald eyes met the Skeleton's eye lights for a moment before she fully entered the room. She wore a plain spearmint green dress that clung to her arms down to the wrist and chest. The skirt was very loose with only one layer and reached her ankles in length. An ice blue sash was wrapped around her waist and trailed behind her as far as the skirt went.  
In her hands was a caldron large enough to fit a watermelon in; a wooden spoon with a large bowl and a curve at the end of the handle was hooked onto the side. Within the caldron was a Baked Potato soup.  
The skeleton calmed down for a reason he could not tell. Seeing the woman made him feel something, yet he could not tell what. It felt like a pull of sorts, but also something flowing Into him.  
"It's nice to see you awake, Comidie," the woman said. That name… it felt so right. Like it really is his name. But it felt so wrong… It filled him with a desire; one he could not place. And yet he felt like that desire is not right…  
"Who are you?" Comidie asked. His voice was quiet and felt wrong to him. Yet his mind said it was how he always talked.  
He felt so conflicted until the woman responded, "I am your Master, Bemtotto of the Vana'diel Alliance."  
"Va-na Deal?" The skeleton asked, again his voice was quiet.  
"It's pronounced Vah nah deel," Bemtotto replied, with a chuckle, "it's what we call this little continent we're on."  
The skeleton nodded before asking, "is my name Comidie?"  
The women looked surprised before replying, "Of course it is… for now at least. That's the name I gave you. If you remember your real name, I can change it.”  
“Change it?” He parroted.  
“I own you,” she said with a hint of remorse, “and with that comes control. I can choose your name, your taste in food, how your magic works…” she sighed, “you’re my Pet.”  
He wanted to deny it at first; how can someone own another? But the more he thought over the words the more true it seemed. ‘She owns me,’ repeated in his mind until he eventually came to, ‘she’s my Master.’  
“I really wish I could go another century without a pet,” she mumbled. She then sat on the bed next to the skeleton with the caldron on her lap. “Are you hungry?” She asked, a spoon full of soup in her hand.  
“Hungry?” He asked, the meaning lost to him.  
Bemtotto looked at him questioningly before sighing and blowing on the spoon. “Here, you’ve been asleep for quite some time,” she said while holding the spoon in front of him. He looked at it questioningly. “Do you not know how to eat?” She asked.  
“Eat?”  
“I’ll take that as a no…” she mumbled, honestly surprised by his lack of basic knowledge. “Alright… please open your mouth,” she said. The skeleton did as asked. “Now I’m going to put this in your mouth, it should be instinctive,” she instructed. She put the spoon in his mouth and slowly poured the soup in his mouth. Like she had hoped, the skeleton instinctively manifested tongues and swallowed the food. ‘Two tongues?’ she noted as she spoon fed the skeleton. Most skeletons can manifest their magic into different body parts, but it’s usually parts that a human or whatever animal they were had; like snaky hybrids that always have a tail manifested to protect their bones. But they rarely if ever had extra parts or “mutations.”  
After eating a good portion of the soup Comidie was full. Bemtotto was quick to eating the rest. Once she finished eating, Bemtotto got up. “Are you ready for a tour?” She asked with a bright smile.  
{I’ll insert the map when it’s finished~ It vaguely looks like Windurst}  
“And this is my lab,” she said as she concluded the tour, “It’s got runes galore and the excess magic gets absorbed by the tree and distributed as far as its roots reach.”  
Comidie hesitated before tentatively reaching out for Bemtotto, gripping her arm in one of his multi-colored hands. “It feels wrong here…” he said as he stared at the stone structure.  
Bemtotto looked down at the hand, not having been touched by anyone in decades. She couldn’t decide wether or not she wanted the hand to touch her.  
She looked away and replied, “that’s… where Angelica cast her spells on you…” she then removed the hand gently and walked back towards the nearest Water Mirror. “You can go where you want,” she told him before stepping onto the “mirror.” Her magic reacted with barely a thought as she Rippled into another part of her city.  
She appeared in her Port Plaza, her feet lightly touching the mosaic circle around the pool of water. Suddenly she felt a tug on her magic. Finding the string of magic she tried to sense as much as it held. The other end felt… Desperate, empty, abandoned.  
The feelings were overwhelming. The darkened edge to it seemed to call out to her. She ran to the source, unable to tell where in her city it was. She ran all the way through the residential area into Windurst Lake, the islands surrounding the tree were all empty except for where Comidie once stood. He now crouched into a ball with his arms covering his skull. He quivered like a mouse, the magic felt like he was scared and Empty.  
Bemtotto ran over with no idea what had happened. The closer she got the less he quivered. When she stood before him, Comidie had stopped shaking and looked up at her. Fear and longing filled his eye-lights.  
“M-master?” He asked, the feeling of this happening before creeped upon the edge of his mind.  
Bemtotto crouched before him, trying to figure out what happened. “Are you alright?” She asked, her voice sounded soothing to the ear.  
“M-Master?” He asked again.  
‘Umm take that as a no,’ she thought. It took a moment before she decided what could possibly help. She pulled him close in an embrace and said, “yes, I’m your Master,” she said, trying to calm him down. The feeling of abandonment slowly faded.

Comidie didn’t know what to think. This woman was all over the place. First she was nice, teaching him to eat and giving a tour. Then she suddenly disappeared, leaving him behind.  
It only took a few moments for a sense of unease and panic to fall upon him. It grew and grew until he was curled up, on the ground. The feelings drove a stake into his mental state. They kept growing the longer he was there.  
Then she was back. The woman came back. The overwhelming feelings seemed to fade the closer her got. Then something seemed to fill the place the stake left behind. It was a need, a desire. And the first word that came to mind was, “M-Master?”  
Something in him was searching. It was that desire again. Not even her question could stop it, he didn’t even attempt to comprehend, just asking again, “M-Master?”  
The desire faded when she pulled him close. A feeling of content filled him in its place. He clung to her. To his Master. ‘I don’t want to feel that again,’ he thought. A new mindset fell into place as he clung to the Mage. He needed his Master, and he’ll make sure his Master has a good Pet.


	4. Of Crafting and Residual Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hobby time!~

Several days passed and they had finally came to a routine. Their mornings would start with Bemtotto waking Comidie up. Both Stayed in the Bemtotto’s house to avoid another incident. They would change into some day clothes before leaving the house.  
Bemtotto wore vastly different clothes than what Comidie first saw her in. She wore clothes that were loose and easy to move in. All of the outfits had her stomach exposed, while most had her arms bare as well. What seemed to be her favorite was a dark green outfit, that had two layers. The first was a pair of dark green shorts and a matching green top that covered her chest and had straps in the back to stay on. The second layer was Lace Fabric that was skin tight on her chest, back and arms, but was flowing and loose from the waist down. It almost looked like a skirt. Her lack of proper footwear confused the skeleton until he saw her walking onto the odd circles of water. The ribbons that she wore around her feet glowed with her magic as she walked across the waters surface.  
Comidie on the other hand decided to wear loose brown pants and a very loose top that covered his ribs. Due to a small amount of panic the first time they tried clothes, a simple T shirt in his size, they decided to go with loose clothes. The neck line exposed his most of his Clavicle and the very top of the Sternum, but he refused to tighten the drawstring collar. After seeing how the humans usually dressed, he also added in a small green wrap around his waist. They found the only clothes he liked in the right size were a pair of black work boots.  
Comidie followed Bemtotto around as she upkeeps her Territory. There was Humans to assist, indestructible Paperwork to fill out, refilling crystals stakes with magic, and cooking meals for every resident of Windurst. While doing each task they tried experimenting with what Comidie could do and remember.  
Sadly he couldn’t actively remember anything. It was just imprints and shadows of memories. The abilities he once had seemed to remain in the form of instinctive knowledge. Knitting and crocheting were among the first they found out.  
“So I know you can’t seem to remember anything,” Bemtotto began as she walked Comidie to the Crafting Hall, “but I thought we could try seeing if you have any “ _Muscle Memory_.””  
The building was shaped like a Meed Hall. But the interior was far different. Instead of a fire place in the middle there was a bubbling fountain. There were many tables all around the hall, each with different crafts going on. Some were sewing, others painting, while yet more were working with yarn. Only one table went un-used The walls were lined with boxes, shelves, and bolts of fabric.  
“Welcome to the Crafting Hall!” She said as she turned towards Comidie with her arms spread wide. A proud grin was on her face. This building was a cumulation of all her trading expertise. They couldn’t make any hand crafting material in Windurst, so they traded their excess crops to get the materials. “We can go through each one and see what you like,” Bemtotto practically sang in excitement. She was very eager to see if there was anything Comidie could enjoy while she worked.  
The first table was for painting. Canvases were spread around the table while a large array of paint was in small cups all across the table. Brushes sat in several containers at the edge of the table. She had him try to paint a simple heart shape. It didn’t matter the color or quality, just a simple heart.  
Sadly, it did not turn out well. He got the basic outline, wavy as it was. But then someone pushed him into into the canvas. A Prussian blue heart was left on his shirt. Bemtotto liked how it looked, but Comidie was still panicked from it. She slowly tried to calm him down, petting his skull and holding him close. The man responsible apologized and cleaned up the mess.  
With that incident she decided to move onto something else.  
The next table they tried was pottery. That did **NOT** last for long. Comidie tried to hide it, but the clay was extremely uncomfortable between his joints. They had to clean his hand bone by bone to get all the clay off.  
Bemtotto pulled him over to knitting next. It seemed they had a winner!~  
“Alright Comidie,” Bemtotto said soothingly, before talking him through the process of knitting. She only had to correct the skeleton twice before he was well on his way to knitting a green sash.  
The shear pride she felt in Comidie could be felt by the Skeleton. In turn he could feel happiness in what he was doing. Wether it was conscious or not, he filed away the event for future reference. Hoping to feel like that again.  
With the green sash done they moved onto another table, ignoring all the other tables. Here they found something even better than Knitting. It was Sewing. Comidie was Delighted to get his hands on the materials. He found a special delight and mastery in the art of sewing. He even made a little doll. It had a white head and a blue hoodie. It’s shirt was a light grey and the pants were a pair of black shorts. It even had what looked like fluffy pink shoes.  
“Aww! Look at his Children’s Day doll~” one of the other seamstresses cooed.  
The term was one that Comidie did not know based on his puzzled expression. His puzzled look was cute, but Bemtotto decided to take pity on him, “Children’s Day is a festival we have to celebrate birthdays here in Windurst. Nearly every child is born in the same stretch of twenty seven days every year. So we have a single day we use to celebrate every child growing a year older. Families make gifts for children; the first is traditionally a fabric doll.”  
It took a moment for the information to process before Comidie had the cutest look of awe on their skull. His eye lights brightened and the heart changed to a star. “That sounds so cool!” Comidie exclaimed in joy.  
Bemtotto smiled at him, loving the delight he showed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a little info about Angelica  
> Ever since the Territory War Angelica’s morals were skewed. She saw anyone besides her three allies as less than them. As easy prey and expendable. Her latest spell work was proof of that.


	5. Dances and Lessons of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The will to live is far more important than Mages would like to admit

Every morning Bemtotto would only have on a pair of shorts and a top that only barely kept their chest covered. She would go to the edge of the river that flowed through the city and do several stretches.   
It always started with breathing exercises that incorporate the whole body before she moved onto the physical portion. She bent this way and that, reaching for the stars before reaching for the earth. She stretched her legs, her spine and even went all the way up to the shoulders.   
After stretching she moved onto simple moving her hips before moving around the area. Before long she was moving around with great energy, dancing with her whole body. It was an amazing sight to see, and Comidie got to watch it every day.   
After several weeks he decided to ask about it.

“M-Master?” Comidie asked one morning, unsure if he should ask.   
Bemtotto paused from her stretching and looked at the skeleton, “yes Comidie?”  
“Why… do you uh… do this?” Comidie asked while looking over his Master.   
It took a moment before Bemtotto fully processed the question. When she did, she had a broad smile on her face, “This is a very old hobby of mine. It’s called Belly Dancing. Residents of Paradise have been getting lazy and it shows,” she chuckled dryly at that, “and those of Vana’diel are very active. If you begin a day with activity you’re sure to have a nice day.”  
“A nice day?” He parroted.   
Bemtotto sighed as she came out of her stretch. “Magical creatures are made up of key components,” she explained, “and if they loose these components they… Fall Down… for Monsters that varies based on their magic. Usually it is a concept like hope. Mages are vastly different. We are primarily made up of elemental magic and the Will to Live.   
“So if a Mage looks forward to every day and enjoys themselves, they will live a long life in the prime of their youth,” she finished.   
Comidie nodded, taking a few moments to understand the new information. “So you stretch because you like to?” He asked.  
Bemtotto smiled softly, trying to hide her laughter. “I enjoy what comes after stretching. Dancing!” With that she began dancing around with a broad smile in her face.

  
The next morning Comidie went up to his Master again. “M-Master?” He asked, unsure if he should ask her.  
Bemtotto looked up at him and replied, “yes Comidie?”  
“C-can you teach me?” He asked, his voice too quiet to hear. A part of him kept insisting he shouldn’t request anything after getting such a nice Master. Yet another part of him knew this would make her happy.  
“Could you please speak up? You’re mumbling,” she replied, honestly curious what could get him to mumble.  
“C-Can you um… Teach me?” He requested, still uncertain. His uncertainty faded when he saw Bemtotto’s face. It was a broad, Delighted expression. It was nice to see…  
“I’d love to teach you!” She replied, the delight clear in her voice. She walked over to him and began instructing, “now I’m not sure if stretching does much for a skeleton, but let’s start out with a simple breathing exercise.” The rest of the morning the two enjoyed what was surely to be a new part of their routine


	6. The Beginning of a Storm

It was the beginning of storm season. The time of year fire magic ran rampant and affected the island of Vana’diel with changes. Windurst always got the worst of the changes. Storms ravaged the land for a full thirty days.   
Windows got boarded up, Farms were cleared out, and Bemtotto had to pull up a dam so the water wouldn’t flood the city. All the while Comidie followed the Mage, bewildered by the changes all around him.   
It wasn’t till the next day that he found out what was going on. A terrible storm of pounding rain and explosive thunder. The walls shook and the rain flooded the river. It lapped at the steps of their house.   
On the second floor Comidie was trying to get some rest. Yet the pounding rain filled his senses and every clap of thunder made him flinch. The flashes of light filled him with fear. His bony shook with the fear flooding his mind.

Downstairs, Bemtotto was cooking a nice tomato and basil soup. A magical fire kept the caldron hot while she put together slices of bread with cheese from San d’Oria in between the slices. When the soup was warm enough she reduced the fire heating it. Another fire blossomed before her and she used a cast iron skillet to cook the sandwiches.   
When the food was ready she walked up the stairs and opened the door to the room she shared with Comidie. The stairs creaked under the combine weight of the soup and the Mage. Opening the door, she was not prepared for the sight before her.   
Comidie was curled up in his bed shivering. A lightning bolt struck, making him whimper and flinch.  
Bemtotto dropped the caldron and the sandwiches fell from her magics hold. She rushed to the bed and checked on the quivering skeleton. He flinched again when another bolt of thunder struck. His eye-lights were large and hazy at the edges; the color seemed dulled, the Plum Purple now the color of Allium.   
“Comidie!” Bemtotto said, a bit of panic within her voice. She did not know how to handle this… another whimper prompted her to act though. She held the skeleton in her arms.   
Simple words meant to sooth the poor skeleton fell from her lips. Words she had heard men and women around Windurst say to their children came to mind. While she said these words she ran a hand over his skull. She hoped it would calm Comidie down.

The sounds were frightening. Loud crashes and bright lights shook the house. Comidie tried to ignore them; tried to stay strong and wait for his Master. But with every crash of the lightning his resolve cracked. He nearly gave up when the door had opened. The sound of the caldron falling was the last straw and he began to whimper.   
He could sense more than hear his Master approaching. Then he could feel the bed sagging as she sat down. Even her presence couldn’t dispel the fear he felt.   
Another lightning bolt struck and he flinched. Immediately after he flinched, he could feel a pair of arms wrapped around him. An odd warmth filled his bones where the arms touch him. It was pleasant and almost soothing.   
Words fell from his Master’s lips. Soothing phrases like, “it’s alright,” “you’re safe here,” and “I won’t let anything hurt you,” were among the many things she said. Before long he was pulled into her lap, his skull on her chest. A beating sound filled his hearing. It’s constant beat lulled him into sleep.

The next morning, Bemtotto still held Comidie in her arms. Neither really minded though. Comidie didn’t know the significance of a hug, and Bemtotto didn’t care at all. She continued to hold him for the following twenty-nine days and even after. The two formed a habit of sleeping together. Comidie thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of his Master’s attention. 


	7. Harvest Festival

With the savage weather at its end, new soil was spread across the land. The humans took the soil and mixed in extra minerals before evenly spreading it out across the different farms. Within a couple weeks they would plant the crops for the season. Each section had four fields for crop rotation, and each section had four designated plants to grow. The farmers were smart enough to know what to plant and when.   
The best part about the various crops was the times the crops were ready to harvest. Because each was ready at different times they had plenty of “Harvest Days,” days where they celebrated the end of a harvest.

Bemtotto was _dressed up_. She wore solid emerald green shorts rather than the usual lace pants. Her top consisted of merely emerald green cloth around the chest and straps. What seemed like a shamrock green sash was sewn to their right side and covered her other shoulder. Outlines were sewn in gold all over the sash along with a fancy gold trim.   
The scars across her body were very pronounced with so little skin covered. A large stab wound under the spleen and part of the stomach would be, several remnants of lacerations were all across her skin, and chafe marks could be seen around her wrists and ankles. The last of which were covered in her green fabric covers.   
Then it was time for Comidie to get dressed up. He felt an odd sense of dread when his Master lead him to the Crafting Hall without telling him why. After a whirlwind of people he was put into his own fancy outfit.   
He was put in a two piece shirt short combo. There were no sleeves, just gold ribbon straps. The cloth covering his chest was the color of raspberries, and his shorts were the same color. A sash was around his waist in Amethyst purple. He had another sash like his Master, but it was over the opposite shoulder. His Master seemed very pleased with the new outfit.

“Sorry about the surprise, todays a harvest day and I needed you dressed for it,” Bemtotto explained.   
“Harvest… Festival?” He asked bewildered.   
Bemtotto grinned and pulled him through the residential area. “Harvest Day is a festival we have at the end of every Harvest. After the last of a crop is harvested and stored we gather in the Festival Plaza and decorate until Sunset. After that we celebrate until everyone passes out of goes to bed,” She smiled brightly as she talked, “the humans came up with it a couple thousand years ago! They started out congratulate one another for a great harvest. After a while they began to celebrate with a few drinks, and a couple lifetimes later they petitioned for a festival.” She sighed before continuing, “that was during the time the Humans still valued knowledge… after an _incident_ ; they decided all they needed to know is how to do their jobs and about our culture…” She fell silent, the memories were a touch painful.  
Comidie felt both excited and saddened at the same time. Sure the festival sounded fun and exciting; but his Master seemed to feel remorse over something that happened to the nice humans here. What could scare them so bad that they refused to learn more than they needed?  
It didn’t take long to reach the Farms and for Bemtotto to cheer up. She lead him past the fields he saw almost daily until they came to a field that was still had some Spinach yet to be harvested. “Would you like to know the best part about the festivities?” Bemtotto asked as she watched the farmers.  
Comidie looked at her hopefully; responding with, “what?”  
Bemtotto waited, both for dramatic effect and for the right moment. When there was only one plant left she replied, “the Tribute Games!” When she was off, running after the last person to harvest. Her pace was fast, but the other humans helped the last to get through faster.   
The Sorceress kept over walls of humans and slipped under others, not using a lick of magic to aid herself as she chased the human through the fields. Her bare feet pushed life magic into the soil as she ran, insuring a rich harvest for the next year.   
Finally, after several hours of running, Bemtotto had caught the man. They fell to the soft dirt without a single injury. With the man caught, the Spinach in his arms were handed over to the Mage. She was delighted to have her Tribute.  
“I thank you for this evenings dinner,” she said to the man, a smile on her face. The line was well rehearsed and heard too many times to count over the centuries. But it was something the humans insisted on so long ago, _“you’re our Goddess! We hoped you would say SOMETHING the same every time. It’ll make at least something the same…”_ she shook her head and walked back to Comidie, the curl of her hair bouncing with every step.   
“W-What was that?” He asked, hoping for a response.   
Bemtotto grinned with delight, her magic humming in the air, “it’s their Tribute. They insisted on repaying me for my generosity. The children were really happy about it, so they begged me to make a game of it. They use to do the last harvest, but the adults felt it was too short a chase. So now I chase an adult. Berry season is ALL ABOUT the children though~”   
She truly loved her people. These humans live their whole lives under her care. She housed them, cooked for them, clothed them, and saw them grow. She sees their births, their achievements, even their deaths. At first she was saddened by their short life spans. But to see these humans live their days out to the fullest? It was **amazing**! More than that… it filled her with a sense of fulfillment. These festivals always brought out the best in the Humans.  
She walked back to the city at a brisk pace while the humans ran to the stairs. She talked to a Human quickly before beckoning Comidie.  
Comidie stayed in place until his Master beckoned to him.  
Rather than following the flow of Humans, Bemtotto walked to the Cooking building. It was a large building with a large flat bottomed caldron in the middle. A fountain was set into the wall on either side. Shelves pinned every wall, filled with herbs, seeds, and other preserved foods. Across the back wall was a metal shelving unit with preservation runes engraved into the sides, every shelf had boxes filled with meat. The shelves were labeled, “beef,” “pork,” “poultry,” “and “fish.” A section to the left was separated with a wall; the top two were filled with containers of milk and lower had cheese.   
The minute she entered the building, Bemtotto used her magic to flip over the caldron and fill its Chamber with Fire magic. The flat surface heated up slowly. With it heating, Bemtotto tossed the spinach in the air and pulled water into her hand. The water condensed into ice with a sharp edge. The spinach was cut finely before it fell into a waiting bubble of water. Magic was infused into the chopped leaves through the water.   
Comidie watched in awe, always enjoying his Master’s way of cooking. It was like a battle or a dance, fast moving and always flowing into the next step. His Master has yet to let him try helping at all…  
As soon as the dark green leaves were cut she pulled out ground beef; spices floated over to her from all around the room. She mixed the meat, herbs, and chopped leaves with her hands. Once they were mixed she glanced at the flat surface of the caldron. She used magic to pour oil on the hot plate before putting the patties on it. More magic flowed into the patties from the fire burning within the caldron.   
While Bemtotto cooked, a knock could be heard from the door. Comidie walked over and opened the door. On the other side was a Human with their arms full of loaves of bread. The bread cake straight from the preservation houses, so it was as fresh and tasty as the day it was made.   
Comidie was quick to take the bread, to the great relief of the Human. 

**Author's Note:**

> Surprisingly, I came up with this idea while camping. I didn't want to leave my tent since there were so many creepy people around, so I typed all day XD  
> Complete dead zone, but the Microsoft Word app still let me type my stories! ^.^  
> 


End file.
